Abstract

Trace organic compounds (TrOCs) enter rivers with discharge of treated wastewater. These effluents can contain high loads of dissolved organic matter (DOM). In a 48 h field study, we investigated changes in molecular composition of seven DOM compound classes (FTICR-MS) and attenuation of 17 polar TrOCs in a small urban stream receiving treated wastewater. Correlations between TrOCs and DOM were used to identify simultaneous changes in surface water and the hyporheic zone. Changes in TrOC concentrations in surface water ranged between a decrease of 29.2% for methylbenzotriazole and an increase of 152.2% for the transformation product gabapentin-lactam. In the hyporheic zone, only decreasing TrOC concentrations were observed, ranging from 4.9% for primidone to 93.8% for venlafaxine . TrOC attenuation coincided with a decline of molecular diversity of easily biodegradable DOM compound classes while molecular diversity of poorly biodegradable DOM compound classes increased. This concurrence indicates similar or linked attenuation pathways for biodegradable DOM and TrOCs. Strong correlations between TrOCs and DOM compound classes as well as high attenuation of TrOCs primarily occurred in the hyporheic zone. This suggests high potential for DOM turnover and TrOC mitigation in rivers if hyporheic exchange is sufficient.

Details

Title
Simultaneous attenuation of trace organics and change in organic matter composition in the hyporheic zone of urban streams
Author
Mueller, Birgit M 1 ; Schulz, Hanna 2 ; Danczak, Robert E 3 ; Putschew Anke 4 ; Lewandowski Joerg 2 

 Department Ecohydrology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.419247.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2108 8097); Technische Universität Berlin, Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Chair of Water Quality Engineering, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.6734.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 2292 8254) 
 Department Ecohydrology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.419247.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2108 8097); Humboldt University of Berlin, Geography Department, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.7468.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2248 7639) 
 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Richland, USA (GRID:grid.451303.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2218 3491) 
 Technische Universität Berlin, Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Chair of Water Quality Engineering, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.6734.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 2292 8254) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2490849924
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.